Helping Leaders Achieve Sustainability

The United Kingdom has been in the news lately around the ‘Brexit’ referendum and it is almost befitting to quote one of British’s strongest leaders as their vote sent shockwaves through most of the world’s markets. We will not delve on the political and economic issues posed by such a vote safe to say that we now need level heads and strong leaders to move us into a different trajectory.

We need visionary and resilient leaders; who can walk the talk; self manage, lead by example and make things happen. However; without the right level of emotional resilience things can go in the wrong direction and hence we need leaders who are able to manage the gap between the stimulus ( something happen to you or your world) and the resultant action or subsequent behavior.

Women leaders have over the years demonstrated these qualities although often not recognized. Women leaders possess incredible amounts of resilience and a ‘to do’ attitude. I know of many women who have against all odds and after a whole lot of things thrown at them, are still able to pull themselves together; find their inner resolve; recalibrate their journey and forge forward. They walk the path with indelible scars and still able to provide for the family; nurture the young ones and hold institutions together.

Strong emotional resilience is a rare skill in the world we live in. Jan Bruce in Forbes magazine writes – “a recent study on the correlation between resilience and key health and productivity measures found that resilience is the foundation of success and possibility; with high levels of resilience significantly correlating with a better health status, higher job satisfaction, morale; productivity and lower stress”

Is this an in born skill or is it learnt? I do not know but what I know for sure is that the world we live in and the organisations we work for desperately need resilient leaders and hence at the upcoming Zenande Women Leaders’ Retreat we will be spending a whole day on the topic of building resilience. We will explore this topic through a combination of theory; practical exercises and group activities; sharing and being coached through personal experiences and listening to an invited guest.

Let’s all go out there and make it happen notwithstanding whether the tide is coming in or going out. Let me leave you with a quote from Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston from the book; how remarkable women lead – “Valleys are an inevitable part of life; and figuring out how to climb out is much more important than endless worrying about how you got there”. So let’s get out there and make it happen.

This is a very powerful and necessary mind-shift that propels one into focusing on what needs to be done rather than lamenting where you are. I love how you’ve put this: “Valleys are an inevitable part of life; and figuring out how to climb out is much more important than endless worrying about how you got there”

Hi Pam…. I have never really resonated that much with the women’s movement before. But as life happens, we learn things; and people let us down. But we must carry on and try as hard as we can to create a better future for those to come. I am beginning to appreciate more than ever the powerful support that sisters lend each other. Well done on the good work